Text of WMU Sports Report
Sunday, December 7, 2003

THE SPORTS SPONSORSHIP REVIEW COMMITTEE

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Sports Sponsorship Review Committee was created by Judith I. Bailey and charged with the task of presenting to athletic director Kathy Beauregard a report on or before ~ December 2003. Although the committee was charged to make recommendations, University administration will determine the appropriate actions to be taken.

At the outset, Dr. Bailey made it clear that the committee was to conduct a comprehensive study within the following parameters; the athletics program is to maintain NCM Division IA status, membership in the Mid-American Conference and the Central Collegiate Hockey Association, and comply with Title IX/gender equity requirements.

The current unfavorable economic conditions prompted Dr. Bailey to create this committee. It was also made known that there was no predetermined number of sponsored sports and the committee should not seek a temporary reordering of sports at the University. In the event of the discontinuation of certain sports, dollars would not be removed from the athletic department so that the remaining sponsored programs could remain competitive. However, the department may be subject to future budget cuts.

The committee requested a significant amount of information from the athletic department and held several meetings with the director and her staff. The committee also hosted individual meetings with each sport's coach who was asked to prepare responses to specific questions provided in advance. Two public forums were also held and comments were received from fifty-two individuals, even though many more people were in attendance. In addition, the committee reviewed all comments received from the public at-large during the life of the committee.

As a result of this careful review and in consideration of the operating parameters given to the committee, the following recommendations are made; specifically, the committee recommends that men's indoor track, outdoor track and cross-country teams be eliminated. Our detailed report provides the basis for reaching this position.

We make this recommendation with the deepest regret. The committee was impressed with the overall enthusiasm and commitment expressed by the coaches as well as the student-athletes. It is understood that this recommendation and any possible resulting action could adversely affect these individuals. However, the committee was obligated to make this most difficult recommendation in order to discharge its duty.

We thank the president, Dr. Judith Bailey, for asking us to serve in this capacity.

THE PRESIDENTIAL CHARGE TO THE COMMITTEE

The Sports Sponsorship Review Committee was created by President Judith I. Bailey and charged with the task of presenting a report to athletic director Kathy Beauregard on or before 1 December 2003. Although recommendations were to be made by the committee, it is up to University administration to determine the actions to be taken. The current unfavorable economic conditions prompted Dr. Bailey to create this committee to help bring a greater understanding to the question: What changes, if any, should be made in the area of sponsored sports as Western wrestles with some serious budgetary challenges?

At the outset, Dr. Bailey made it clear that the committee was to conduct a comprehensive study within the following parameters:

°° The athletics program is to maintain NCM Division IA status. °° The athletics program is to maintain membership in the Mid- American Conference (MAC). °° The athletics program is to maintain membership in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA). °° The athletics program is to comply with Title IX/gender equity requirements.

President Bailey also made it known that, at this particular time, there was no predetermined number of sponsored sports and that the committee should not seek a temporary reordering of sports at the University. Moreover, she asked that the committee seek public comments. She also stressed that if sports were discontinued, those dollars would not be removed from the athletic department's budget, in order for the remaining sponsored programs to stay competitive. However, a promise could not be made that future budget cuts would not occur to the athletic budget.

In summary, the committee is charged with taking a broad, comprehensive look at the current athletic programming at Western with a particular interest in how the sponsored programming is conducted. Thus, the committee is to look at the extent to which this programming is prudent and fiscally responsive to the current economic challenges facing the University and the larger community, i.e., the State of Michigan.

THE CURRENT ATHLETICS PROGRAM

Currently, Western Michigan University sponsors 20 sports, nine of which are men sports and 11 are women sports.

Effective August 1, 2004, the NCM's minimum number of sports required to be sponsored to maintain a Division IA status will be 16 sports. Of the women's currently sponsored 11 sports, synchronized skating is not recognized as a sport by the NCM. Of the 16 total, a minimum of six sports must be sponsored for men, while a minimum of eight sports must be sponsored for women.

The Mid-American Conference requires three sponsored sports for men (baseball, basketball and football) and three for women (basketball, softball and volleyball) to maintain membership. Currently, the 14 MAC institutions are: Bowling Green University, Northern Illinois University, Marshall University, University of Toledo, Central Michigan University, Eastern Michigan University, Western Michigan University, Ball State University, Kent State University, University of Akron, University of Central Florida, Miami University, Ohio University, and University of Buffalo. (As of this writing, Marshall and Central Florida have accepted an invitation to join the Conference USA.)

Hockey must be sponsored to maintain membership in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association whose members include Alaska Fairbanks, Bowling Green State University, Ferris State University, Lake Superior State, Miami (Ohio) University, University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Nebraska-Omaha University, Northern Michigan University, Notre Dame University, The Ohio State University, and Western Michigan University.

To comply with Title IX and gender equity participation requirements, there is a three-prong test:

°° Provide participation opportunities for women and men that are substantially proportionate to their respective rates of enrollment of full-time undergraduate students, or; °° Demonstrate a history and continuing practice of program expansion for the underrepresented sex, or; °° Fully and effectively accommodate the interests and abilities of the underrepresented sex.

The University believes it has effectively demonstrated its efforts to comply with Title IX through the documented history of expansion as allowed by the second prong. The Office of Civil Rights is charged with enforcing Title IX. According to the athletics department, in every inquiry conducted by this office, no university has successfully argued and been deemed compliant with Title IX using "history of expansion" as the basis for compliance. Therefore, the committee focused on the first test of "participation proportionality" in its deliberation.

In order to evaluate the University's success in "participation proportionality" the following points were considered:

°° Female and male student-athletes must participate in intercollegiate athletics at a percentage proportional to the undergraduate student population of the campus. °° Female and male student-athletes should receive athletics scholarship dollars proportional to their participation; and, °° Equal treatment of female and male student-athletes in the 11 provisions known as the laundry list:

°° equipment and supplies; °° scheduling of games and practice times; °° travel and daily allowance/per diem; °° access to tutoring; °° coaching; °° locker rooms, practice and competitive facilities; °° medical and training facilities and services; °° housing and dining facilities and services; °° publicity and promotions; °° support services; °° recruitment of student-athletes.

COMMITTEE'S PROCEDURES

To carry out its charge, the Sponsored Sports Review Committee met a total of 13 times during October and November, resulting in approximately 250 person hours. In addition, the committee spent a significant number of hours outside the meeting sessions developing and evaluating data and information.

The committee also held several meetings with the athletic director and members of her staff. The committee requested a significant amount of information from athletics and its staff devoted many extra hours of time and energy providing the committee with the pertinent data.

The committee also held two public forums on Tuesday, I4 October and Wednesday, 15 October 2003 in the Kirsch Auditorium at the Fetzer Center. These public sessions allowed community members an opportunity to share their views with the committee.

The committee met privately with the head coach of each sponsored sport, listened to their presentations and had the opportunity to ask questions of them during interview sessions held October 28, 29, and 30 of this year. Each coach was asked to provide the committee with answers to a set of particular questions. These questions were provided to the coaches several days prior to their scheduled interview to give them a chance to prepare. Coaches were also encouraged to provide any additional information that they felt was relevant to the committee's deliberation.

SUMMARY: THE TWO PUBLIC FORUMS

Tuesday, 14 October

Twenty-one speakers shared their views about sponsored sports at Western at this session, which was well attended by people from the larger community. Each speaker was given five minutes to present his/her views during the two-hour session. At the end of the session, it was obvious that the speakers and those in attendance were primarily interested in those sponsored sports that many viewed as being at risk vis-à-vis those in the protected category of the MAC and CCHA.

Whether one was a student-athlete, coach, or simply interested in athletics at Western, the basic theme from this particular public forum was one of "keeping all sports going." "Trim the budget but save all sports" was a clear message from the community. Those who did speak on behalf of a particular sponsored sport were uniformly well prepared and presented cogent arguments that the committee considered during its deliberations. For example, tennis was strongly supported for numerous reasons with the observation that Kalamazoo is a "tennis city" being among them.

From this particular public session, the committee garnered many insights into the scope and dynamics of several sponsored sports programs at Western, namely synchronized skating, soccer, track, and tennis. The financial impact that tennis and soccer have on Western and the larger community was made very evident by a speaker who presented data that showed the average annual economic impact of United States Tennis Association--USTA ($562,800), Kalamazoo Invitational Soccer Shootout (($420,000), and the Portage Soccer Classic ($162,000). (Source: Kalamazoo County Convention and Visitors Bureau Estimated Economic Impact of Tennis and Soccer).

Other important insights from this session include: (1) Western's synchronized skating is one of only two varsity programs in the country; and (2) Western's student-athletes do well both on and off the field; their classroom performance is as exemplary as their athletic performance. In addition to having high grade point-averages, student-athletes in non-revenue generating sports (i.e. ticket revenue is not generated) also have very high graduation rates.

Wednesday, 15 October

The second public forum was also well attended and 31 individuals took advantage of the opportunity to speak on behalf of their favorite sport at Western. Again, each speaker was allowed five minutes. Not unlike the speakers of the previous night, these individuals too were most concerned about the continued existence of men and women's tennis, men and women's track, golf, synchronized skating, and men and women's soccer.

Several speakers emphasized the point that the committee should be creative in its work and that eliminating sports is not the answer, nor is Title IX the reason for the budget shortfall. Regarding the latter point, one speaker noted that "eliminating opportunities for men is not the answer," and that the committee should look at other ways to solve the budgetary and gender/equity issues. Other comments included:

°° Non-revenue generating sports are often less expensive than revenue generating sports, especially football, which is very costly to the University. °° A premier sport at Western, track has produced more individual All-Americans than all the other sports programs combined. °° Soccer is a fast growing popular sport and could very well become a revenue generating sport. °° Synchronized skating is a role model for kids and other institutions; it also will help WMU's international reputation as well as being a viable recruitment tool for the institution.

WRITTEN STATEMENTS OF SUPPORT

Numerous statements from current and previous student-athletes, University employees, and concerned citizens came to the attention of the committee. Letters were written to President Bailey, the athletic director, and the co-chairs and other members of the committee. For the most part, they reflected the sentiments and themes of those individuals who spoke at the two public forums. A few suggested that the elimination of a particular sport could be very harmful to Western's reputation and financial future, especially regarding significant donors and the recruitment of students. These statements uniformly supported the continued existence of all currently sponsored sports at Western, and some offered several suggestions or alternatives to the elimination of sports. Among the suggestions were:

°° Challenge the assumptions and myths that have supported football on campus; thus reduce and reallocate some of the resources from that program to support the survival of other sports. °° Limit overnight travel and hold major competition within three hours of road travel. °° Achieve greater budgetary control by standardizing policies regarding travel, entertainment, uniforms, etc. °° Save dollars by utilizing more graduate assistants and volunteer assistants in more areas of operations. °° Reduce the number of out-of-state scholarships.

SUMMARY: INTERVIEWS WITH COACHES OF NON-MAC REQUIRED SPORTS

The coaches provided their information to the committee. It was quite evident to the committee that the coaches in this category were concerned about the sponsorship of their particular sport. They made a genuine effort to give the committee relevant information and data that would be useful in its assessment of the extent to which this athletic department is prudent and fiscally responsive to the current economic challenges and other issues facing the University. Needless to say, these coaches were firm in their belief that all current sports should be continued and that they could be competitive even in the face of dwindling financial resources. More dollars does not necessarily equate with more wins.

Below is a brief summary of the sports in this category with respect to the coaches' perceptions about:

°° the particular strengths and weaknesses of their sport program; °° their ability to be competitive at the Division IA level, given their current level of sponsorship; °° the primary justifications for the continued sponsorship of their sport; °° the influence of their program on Title IX/gender equity issues; and, °° ways to enhance the safety of the student-athletes, coaches, facilities, etc., with respect to their sport program at Western.

1. Women's Soccer-- Nearly 100,000 kids are involved in soccer in Michigan where there are 375 high school teams. Soccer is the fastest growing sport at high schools in the nation and the Midwest is a top soccer market. The NCM has added more women's soccer teams than any other sport since the 1988-89 academic year, and Western's soccer program has solidified its position as one of the premier teams in the Mid-American Conference. Western's team had a record setting performance in 2003 and will lose only six players to graduation in the next two years, which suggests that Western will field a strong team over the next few years. Though the budget for the program is small, the program offers many opportunities to at least 23 women each year, which has a favorable impact on Title IX. The interest in the program is at an all-time high.

2. Women's Golf-- The competitive season has two segments--a fall segment and a spring segment--and most of the competition takes place at an away venue, which means that travel is a big part of the overall budget (over 60%). The program, which has improved dramatically over the last five years, gives Western regional and national exposure. Some of the student-athletes are among the MAC scholars-of-the-week and the team maintains above a 3.0 grade point average. The lack of an assistant coach and inadequate ground transportation (driving) are among the major weaknesses. Yet, Western is ranked second in the MAC, which is a very competitive conference. That the program provides excellent opportunities to several student-athletes, makes low demands on resources, has the third lowest budget at Western, and contributes to the growth of women's golf were noted among the justifications for the continuation of the sport at Western.

3. Synchronized Skating-- A multi-talented sport that includes ice dancing and figure skating, and teams consisting of 12-24 members who perform required elements in unison. Western was one of three teams to start a program in 1998, and today Western's synchronized skating team is only one of two varsity collegiate teams in the country--Miami is the other institution. In 2003, of the 231 synchronized teams in the country, 51 percent are registered in the Midwest, with Michigan being significantly represented. Western's program has grown exponentially since its inception as a varsity sport in 1999, improving from 13th to 6th in 2003. The team earned a position on Team USA and has an opportunity to represent the United States in ISU international competition. The team boasts having seven Medallion scholars and a 100 percent graduation rate. The sport does not receive any grant-in-aid for its student-athletes and has a low budget to support 54 team members. All athletes are walk-ons, with 31 from out-of-state and 21 from the state of Michigan. Regarding the sport's influence on Title IX issues, synchronized skating is the largest women's team at the University and its 54 student-athletes helps to bring the University into compliance with the established participation gender equity guidelines. However, since Western is not required to provide grant-in-aid to a non-championship sport under the NCM banner, the female participation percentage versus the female grant-in-aid percentage is negatively skewed.

4 women s Gymnastics-- This sport is a very popular one in the Olympic Games and seven of the universities in the MAC sponsor this sport. Western is one of the five Division IA schools in Michigan with a women's gymnastics team. The sport has 21 student-athletes and among them there have been seven Academic All-Americans. The NCM Division IA limit is to have 12 scholarships and there are nine walk-on members. The average attendance is about 300 and the sport does not charge admission to its events. (Ranking by highest home attendance in 2003, Utah was number one with 10,834 and Western was ranked at 66 with 453; Wilson College had the lowest ranking of 86, or 50 in attendance.) Currently, Western's gymnastics program sits in the middle of the MAC. The program has great facilities but lacks a second assistant coach, which was noted as a weakness. The budget is a modest one as is the salary for the head coach. The program helps Western to meet Title IX requirements.

5. Women's Track and Cross-country-- A strength of this particular women's program is found in the fact that this sport is in a state loaded with "a veritable gold mine of track and field talent." This is reflected in the composition of the program where 78 percent of the student-athletes are Michigan residents. This also means that its sponsorship is less expensive than those programs where a larger percentage of the athletes are from states other than Michigan. Another strength is the academic caliber of the students on the roster in this program. For the last academic year, the GPA was 3.09 for track and 3.14 for the cross-country squad. The program is seen as being "extremely economical" because two coaches, whose salaries are very modest at best, are responsible for coaching three sports. There are 18 scholarship equivalencies allowed by the NCM, but only four of the 50 women student-athletes are on a "full" grant-in-aid scholarship. This means that the vast majority of the student-athletes either pay part or all of their college expenses. In spite of the lack of "full" scholarships for each athlete, the program has made steady progress and is competitive in the MAC and qualified seven student-athletes to the NCM regional championships; qualified four relay runners (4 x 400), which finished 13th in the country, among other successes. Regarding Title IX, this particular program at Western offers more opportunities for "women and ethnic minorities for fewer dollars." The program has a count of 110 women and it obviously has a significant impact on the percentages between men and women's sports at Western.

6. Women's Tennis-- This is one of the most successful programs at Western. Since 1982, it has won seven (7) MAC championships, ten second places, and four third places and, under the current coach the sport has never finished lower than 3rd place. It has the highest winning percentage (.838) among any of the current sponsored sports at Western. Among the program's other strengths are: a team GPA of 3.43; 15 Academic All-Americans since 1989; 100 percent graduation rate of those reaching the senior year; and the best physical facilities in the MAC for tennis--20 outdoor courts and a 9-court indoor facility. The lack of a full-time assistant and ground transportation are seen as two major weaknesses in the program. The program has demonstrated that it can be very successful even with limited resources and is capable of winning a championship. It was noted that the men's tennis coach cooperates and helps in the women's tennis program. The justification for the continued sponsorship of this program is found in its ability to be the top sports program in the athletic department year after year. This program helps Western's effort to be compliant with Title IX.

7. Men's Track and Cross-country-- This is one of the oldest and most successful sports in the history of the University. To its credit, the cross-country program produced the only two NCM national team championships in the history of the institution. Over the years, it has produced 32 MAC team championships, coupled with 34 runner-up finishes in the conference. The cross-country, indoor and outdoor track program is viewed as a bargain because there is one coaching staff, one budget, one group of student-athletes BUT three countable sports, which cost less than three percent of the athletic department's budget. The three countable sports program makes up one-half of the NCM Division IA required sponsored sports for men at Western. That it has demonstrated fiscal responsibility is another strength of the program. This observation is reflected in its budget surplus and in the fact that over 70 percent of the student-athletes are in-state residents. Three thoughtful proposals were offered by the head coach with the purposes being (a) to describe how the program can help the athletics department meet needs in the area of Title IX requirements, (b) to show how the program can absorb a reduction in its operational budget dollars and still be competitive, and (c) to suggest a reduction in grants-in-aid awarded to the program. It is believed that the implementation of the proposed changes would not significantly diminish the performance level of this sports program to "challenge for MAC championships and qualify individuals for competition at the NCM championships."

8. Men's Soccer-- The number of participants involved in soccer worldwide makes it the world's most popular sport. There are some 437 high school soccer teams in Michigan, with over 10,000 students participating in the sport. At the collegiate level there are 729 teams, with 199 at the Division IA level. A strength of Western's program is its ability to compete successfully against the top teams in the region on an annual basis. Academically, the team has a 2.90 GPA, with a 93 percent graduation rate. This year, Western is one of only three teams with a winning record in the MAC. The program has had 10 AII-MAC Players in the last three years, including the MAC Newcomer of the Year in 2000. Parenthetically, Western recently won the MAC championship and earned an automatic bid to the NCM tournament. The program's current level of sponsorship is viewed as sufficient and it is believed that the program could survive even if resources were reduced at this time. Soccer camps and golf outings have been successful in generating revenue for the program. The program does have an impact on Title IX issues in that there is an annual average of 23 student-athletes on the roster and an equivalency of six scholarships.

9. Men's Tennis-- This program has a long tradition of excellence on the court and in the classroom. To date, the men's team has won 17 MAC titles and has finished in second place 19 other times. In addition, the team has made several appearances in the NCM tournament and has raised the program's prestige by defeating some of the top teams in the Big Ten Conference. Off the court, the men's team has consistently posted a team GPA above 3.2 and has graduated 100 percent of the student-athletes. In addition, former Bronco tennis star and WMU scholar athlete Jeff Brink is the only student-athlete in WMU history to graduate with a 4.0 GPA. The program has excellent facilities that are shared with the women's program. Men's tennis also has a long tradition of involvement with the nationally acclaimed USTA Boys National Championships held every year in Kalamazoo.

SUMMARY: INTERVIEWS WITH COACHES OF MAC-REQUIRED SPORTS AND THE CCHA

°° ways to enhance the competitiveness of their particular sport under the current economic conditions at Western; °° ways to enhance the safety of the student-athletes, coaches, facilities, etc., with respect to their sport program; °° important issues or concerns regarding academic matters and graduation rates of the student-athletes in their sport; °° reallocation of resources to help safeguard the preservation of some other sponsored sport program at Western; and, °° Title IX/gender equity issues and their particular sport.

1. Baseball-- Because of an emphasis on cost containment there will undoubtedly be no new dollars for athletes. Since baseball has only 11.7 scholarships and 26 or 27 players, most of the players are forced to pay the full cost of their education. Thus, baseball generates a substantial amount of money for the University. An expansion in roster size (up to 40 players at the discretion of the coach) was viewed as a means to enhance the team's depth.

2. Men's Basketball-- Attracting the highest caliber of player is a real concern. Western's basketball is not a developmental sport; hence the program needs players who are ready to contribute immediately. Thus, the renovation and beautification of the current space would be helpful in the recruitment of top caliber players. These aspects are key if the program is to be competitive on a continuous basis. A safety concern is one that involves track practice in the building at the same time there are high-speed basketball drills. Some minor collisions have occurred as a result of this situation, and a solution is needed in order to avoid an incident of a more serious nature. Academically, the GPA for the basketball team was the highest in the MAC for basketball. Presently, money for summer school is being reduced and this could very well have a deleterious impact on the academic success of the student-athletes in the program, especially the length of time it takes to graduate.

3. Women's Basketball-- Western's defending MAC champs who played in the NCM tournament for the first time since 1983 has been selected to be the Western Division champs as well as repeat as the MAC champs for the 2003-04 season. To work on team spirit and chemistry would help to maintain and enhance the competitiveness of basketball at the University. While not very old, the University Arena will appear to be an aged facility if greater attention is not immediately given to correct the neglected areas in and around the building. Concern was also expressed over a need to upgrade the sport's website and the acquisition of the technology that would allow for the transfer of video to CD or DVD. Student athletes are doing an outstanding job academically with the assistance of Jeff Stone, who is viewed by many as indispensable to the classroom success of the players. Also, the assistant coaches work with the players based on their class standing. Finally, there are 15 scholarships and the women's program does its part in helping the University meet the Title IX gender/equity requirements.

4. Volleyball-- To reestablish a sport that was once among the elite programs nationally is a monumental task, a constant challenge to the current head coach and her staff. It is hard to fill a place that held over 10,000 spectators to watch a Bronco volleyball team that defeated the major power from the University of Nebraska. One concern is dwindling summer school dollars for student-athletes. Restoration of these dollars would help enhance the competitiveness of women's volleyball at the University. Also, funds to hire a part-time person would be helpful at this juncture because the coach is forced to wear many hats, sometimes simultaneously. Safety matters per se are not an issue. However, a concern exists about the general condition of the building and the impression it creates on visitors and potential student-athletes. The team that also has a 100 percentage graduation rate under this coach carries a 3.4 GPA.

5. Women's Softball-- An impressive turn around has occurred in this sport since the hiring of the head coach in the fall of 2000. Program competitiveness could be enhanced if the University would allow the following: 1) increase the length of the indoor dirt pitching area in the Seelye Center 2) allowed to "hit away" in this same facility 3) more early season tournaments 4) additional scholarships to cover out-of-state dollars 5) restore the assistant coaching position, and 6) increase the recruiting budget. The absence of these elements has not diminished the softball program's ability to be successful on the field. This year the program was first in the West Division, MAC tournament champions, and made its first NCM tournament appearance since 1982. Academically, the student-athletes are performing well in the classroom with a 3.13 GPA for the fall semester. The outdoor batting cages, the bleachers, and the indoor dirt pitching spot are several areas noted where action could be taken to enhance the safety of those involved in the program. Balls hit and retrieved on Oliver and Stadium Drive continues to be another matter of concern.

6. Football-- The football program got off to an auspiciously fast start under the current head coach but the program is seen as being at a crossroad, which raises a series of questions about the future. Western is seen as a developmental school that attracts student-athletes who must be developed before they can contribute on the field. There is a need for nutrition counseling and a training table to improve the eating habits of the players. Student-athletes have been lost to other universities. Football has a total of 85 scholarships. The student athletes in the program still graduate at a favorable 94 percent rate.

7. Hockey-- Very difficult times have fallen upon sponsored sports at Western and this is especially true regarding the feasibility of conducting a campaign for the renovation of Lawson Ice Arena. While this is the case, hockey is still viewed by many as the one sport that has the greatest possibility of earning a national championship for the University. The program recruits against Big Ten institutions and feels that to be truly competitive the facilities must be improved - especially the locker, workout facilities, and bathroom areas. It should be noted, however, that there is no need for a bigger rink. Attendance continues to grow and opponents have come to regard Lawson as a most difficult venue in which to play. Academically, the program has a 3.0 GPA and the student-athletes know well the fact that "no class, no play".

RECOMMENDATION

In carrying out its charge to review sports sponsorship, the committee considered the negative financial health of the state and the impact this will continue to have on the University at-large, and athletics in particular. The committee understands that the University has already suffered one appropriation cut that totaled $12.5 million. As a result of this cut, the athletics' operating budget declined $1.3 million and several cost containment measures were taken. In addition, the state has signaled intent to levy another significant appropriation cut in January of 2004. Athletics will also receive their share of this cut. Furthermore, an additional state cut is highly probable for the 2004-05 fiscal year. Just twenty years ago, the state provided 70% of the operating funds for the University. This support is now down to 41% and will continue to decline with the projected cuts that will be made.

In light of this environment of shrinking support, the committee considered the possibility of athletics increasing revenues through other means: ticket sales, fund-raising, guarantees and so on. The committee also discussed means of controlling and reducing other operating expenses. The committee concluded that although action should be taken in these other areas, the amount of dollars generated/saved, was not enough when compared to the potential budget cuts resulting from declining state aid. Therefore, the committee concluded that it would be necessary for the University to reduce the number of sports sponsored to retain some level of competitiveness. The committee chose to recommend the discontinuance of those sports that had the greatest potential for dollar savings within the parameters given to the committee.

This recommendation is made with the deepest regret. The committee was impressed with the overall enthusiasm and commitment expressed by the coaches as well as the student-athletes. Moreover, it is understood that this recommendation and possible resulting action could adversely affect these individuals. However, the committee was obligated to make this most difficult recommendation in order to discharge its duty.

Specifically, the committee recommends that men's indoor track, outdoor track and cross-country teams be eliminated. Current general fund dollars committed to sponsorship of these teams for the 2003-04 year are $370,722.

The committee considered several factors in making this recommendation. With the requirements of maintaining membership in the NCM Division IA, MAC and CCHA, the men's sports of football, basketball, baseball and hockey were protected. These membership requirements also established a minimum threshold of six sports for men. Under these constraints, there were only two plausible scenarios for consideration in reducing the number of men's sports sponsored by the University. Thus, one scenario requires the elimination of the men's track program. Under the second scenario, men's tennis and/or soccer could be discontinued.

In considering the elimination of the men's track program, there were several significant reasons for viewing all three teams as one package, versus separate, independent sports. It became apparent through the information gathering stage, that many track student-athletes participate on more than one track team. In addition, the coach indicated that it would be difficult to recruit for one program, such as indoor track, if the remaining programs were also not active. And, finally, significant budget savings would only be realized with the elimination of the entire program. Otherwise, it would continue to be necessary to incur coaching costs as well as grant-in-aid for a specific student-athlete.

In deliberating between the men's track program, and men's tennis and/or soccer teams, other important factors were considered. First, the men's track teams had the greatest number of athletes. Therefore, elimination of this program versus tennis and soccer would have the greatest positive impact for Title IX considerations. Furthermore, the community hosted tournaments and commitment to both tennis and/or soccer would make it difficult for the University to eliminate either of these sports without the significant risk of negative impact to the community.

Therefore, the committee concluded that it should recommend the elimination of the men's track program.

With the elimination of men's indoor, outdoor and cross-country teams and with the requirement of maintaining membership in the NCM Division IA, it is necessary for the University to continue sponsorship of ten women's teams. Since synchronized skating does not qualify as a NCM Division IA sport, it is not possible to eliminate any of the other women's sponsored sports. In this way, the NCM minimum threshold of sixteen teams sponsored will be satisfied.

There was discussion by the committee about the possibility of eliminating the skating program. However, the student-athletes do not receive grant-in-aid and many of them pay out-of-state tuition. It is also understood that many, if not all, of these athletes would not attend Western if there was not a varsity skating program. Therefore, discontinuation of this sport sponsorship would result in a negative tuition cash flow to the University. In addition, the team roster size provides a significant positive contribution to satisfying the Title IX participation requirements. However, as previously noted, since Western is not required to provide grant-in-aid to a non-sport under the NCAA banner, sponsorship of this team does negatively skew the grant-in-aid percentages. As a result of this deliberation, the committee believes that this sport should continue to be sponsored.

Even with this recommended action, the committee remains concerned about the overall competitiveness of the sports program and expectations that may exist However, due to the guiding parameters set for the committee, it was concluded that the elimination of the men's track program provides the greatest opportunity for success in the remaining sponsored sports.

In addition, the committee notes that if the recommendation is acted upon, the University will again demonstrate its efforts to comply with Title IX participation requirements. However, there was no singular recommendation as it related to sports sponsorship that could be made to bring the grant-in-aid dollars into greater proportion for men athletes and women athletes per Title IX language. Therefore, this item falls outside the purview of the committee.

In closing, the committee found it very difficult to have to make the recommendation of eliminating University sponsorship of certain sports and the committee believes that it performed its charge in an objective and honorable manner. As a committee, we had hoped to discover alternatives to team elimination. Unfortunately, the economic challenge did allow for any other viable options.

We thank the president, Dr. Judith Bailey, for asking us to serve in this capacity.

Respectfully submitted,

Chuck Elliott (Co-Chair)
Lew Walker (Co-Chair)
Donald L. Alexander
Kim Foster
Dean Honsberger
Linda Law
Gary Mathews
Jan Van Der Kley
Ken Miller (Advisory)

December 1, 2003